Monk asking a question.
When our guide said we should go watch the monks debate, we thought he was using the wrong word. But it turns out monks are the liveliest and most compelling debaters I’ve ever seen, even though I didn’t understand a word.
As we approached the courtyard of the Sera Monastery, we could hear yelling and slapping in the distance. Entering the courtyard doors brought into view about 75 monks in small groups ranging... Read More

Celebrating Josh with a Lhasa beer, that makes you a little more out of breath when you’re at 16,000 feet, and a yak steak (surprisingly tasty)! Happy birthday, my love.
Lhasa beer...
and yak steak. Mmmm.
Lhasa beer…
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The Dalai Lama said, “Go to Tibet and see many places, as much as you can; then tell the world.” Here it goes…
Visiting Jokhang Temple and Potala Palace, the former home of the Dalai Lama, was the most difficult day of the trip so far.
The palace was stunning. Perched on a hill overlooking Lhasa, it has all the history, spirituality, and humble grandeur the home of the Dalai Lama might be expected to command.
But today, it’s... Read More

If we had any trepidations about going to Tibet on this trip, they were alleviated when we learned the Dalai Lama gave his okay for his supporters to go as tourists. But how to get there? Well, that was never in question… The highest elevated train in the world, of course!
Arrival in Lhasa
The Qinghai-Lhasa railway is so high that they pump oxygen into the train cars (its highest point is almost 17,000 feet over sea-level). Apparently it’s... Read More